


Family

by Peregrine



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Animal Transformation, Birds, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 07:43:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6509077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peregrine/pseuds/Peregrine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Though Wirt and Beatrice now share a curse, they find themselves growing increasingly distant from one another.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> At first this just started as a discussion with a friend on "What would Wirt be if he was a bird?" but then it turned into the longest one-shot I have ever written. Please enjoy!

The sound of flapping wings awoke Beatrice from her light slumber. She opened her eyes and blinked. The faint ring of sunshine on the horizon gave her just enough light to see the owl landing on the branch next to her.

“Wirt, you’re back already?” she asked ruffling her feathers in the crisp morning air.

“I thought I heard you calling…” Wirt said, tilting his head slightly to the side.

“No, no. You woke me up.” As if to emphasis her point, she gave him a jab with her beak.

“Hey…” Wirt said, puffing his own feathers up defensively but Beatrice could tell it was half-hearted. He was tired, his plumage rough and unkempt.

“Wirt.” Beatrice rolled her eyes. “What have I told you about personal hygiene?”

“I’m sorry,” Wirt apologized. “I’m still…” he started then stopped, his eyes sagging at the corners.

Beatrice sighed. “Just let me do it,” she said and moved closer to him. Beatrice took his feathers in her beak and began to rub them through her beak. She felt Wirt tense than relax under her preening.

How long had things been like this?

It was hard to talk to Wirt these days. Too much of their time was spent apart. She scavenged under the sun by sight and he hunted under the moon by sound. It was a life they were forced to live by the curse of their avian biology. It was only in the hours of twilight that they could keep each other company and only their shared goal of becoming human that kept them together.

Beatrice slowly worked her way up his wings. They were larger than hers but no more difficult to preen. After going over his flight feathers, she moved on to his head and face. He was about an inch larger than her but she had no difficulty reaching any part of him. As she got a glimpse of his face, he looked contemplative, staring off into the distance. She could sense a melancholy in him, a sadness always he seemed to carry on the arch of his wings.

Just as she was about to finish, Wirt opened his beak and paused for a minute before he spoke.“Beatrice…do you ever feel like you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be human?”

The sudden question caught her off guard. “What do you mean?” she asked, a sense of unease creeping down her spine.

“I mean do you sometimes just forget things about being human? Like how it feels to stretch your fingers and toes or the warmth of a hot bath against your skin?”

“I mean... I guess, in a way, it's not as easy to picture as it used to be,” she said, thinking about it for a moment. “But I get to stretch my wings as a bird and sometimes I still take baths.” Her mind wandered back to puddle she had splashed around in earlier that week after a light rain. It wasn't as sanitary as a sponge bath but it definitely felt nice.

Wirt sighed and clenched his eyes tight. Beatrice knew, right away, that this was really bothering him.“Wirt...” she said, unsure exactly what she could say to comfort him.

Wirt looked to her, his gaze so intense that it nearly paralyzed her. “Do you miss them?”

Beatrice's felt her heart sink. She knew who he was talking about but the question still caused a turmoil of emotions to wrench at her gut. “I would answer that Wirt,” she said, “But this isn't about me is it? It's about _him_.”

Wirt's body stiffened. “Beatrice...” he said, looking at her earnestly. “How can we save the people we love when we can't even save ourselves?”

“I-I don't know...” Beatrice felt sorry for him. “I don't have all the answers Wirt. But if you just give up hope then you’ll both be dead and what’s the point in going this far just to die?”

Wirt puffed up, his feathers standing up on his body. “Are you even looking at this realistically? Those scissors are at the bottom of the lake, we have been wandering these woods aimlessly for who knows how long, and-and-” Wirt let out a deep breath. “The witch who cursed us it dead. We have no leads what-so-ever. We are both lost causes.”

The words pierced Beatrice like an arrow. “You can't say that,” she said meeting his gaze in a heated stare. “There must be another way. I can't just give up on my family and you can't either.”

“Yeah? Well I don't even have a family!” Wirt turned away from her, his body shaking.

Beatrice tried to take a deep breath but her small body broiled with anger. “Is that it? Is that all you care about?” Beatrice finally said, her frustration flaring forth. “If you're just going to give up hope than what reason do you have to live!”

As soon as the words were out, Beatrice regretted them. Wirt turned to gaze at her for a moment, his eyes widened in shock.

“Wirt...I...”

“F-fine then. I guess...if you don't want me here...” Wirt shook his head and turned away from her. He let out a final sigh before spreading his wings and taking flight.

For a moment, Beatrice was speechless as she watched his retreating form. Then her brain kicked into action, telling her that she had made a mistake.“Wait!” Beatrice said. She lifted her wings and tried to follow but a sudden breeze blew against her. “Wirt!” she called out, flapping as she fought against the wind but he had already disappeared from her line of vision.

As the breeze let up, she flew into the forest after him. “Wirt!” She called out, looking every which way as she moved. Silence was all that met her urgent cries. “Wirt!” she called out again, her chest heaving. Blood rushed to her head and she felt dizzy. “Wirt!” she called out even louder than before. Her voice echoed through the woods but there was still no reply. As she realized that he was really gone, panic set in.

She searched above the forest and below it, yelling his name. The minutes began to stretch into hours, time blurring together until it all seemed the same. She searched until her voice could barely function and her wings felt like they were going to unravel. “Wirt,” she croaked, landing on a fence post in the middle of a field. There was no sign of him. Nothing at all. The dam that held back her tears finally burst. She let out a low, mournful cry, bringing her wings to her face. She was so physically and emotionally exhausted and now she wasn't even sure where she was. For all she knew, Wirt was never going to return to her.

As her sob finally turned into soft whimpers she curled into a ball, tucked her head into her wings, and whimpered herself to sleep.

* * *

When Beatrice woke up, the sun was dipping below the horizon. A cold wind blew past her and she wrapped her wings around herself and shivered. She wasn't sure exactly what had woken her up but she felt like she wasn't alone. Then she heard the sound, like a faint voice carried along the breeze. Her feathers pricked against her skin. “Hello?” she called out, wondering if she was just hearing things. But then she heard the sound again, a ghost of a voice coming from the woods. She couldn't make out what it was saying but it was definitely there.

“Wirt?” she choked out, her chest constricting around her heart. She spread her wings and took flight, her body lifting on the breeze. “Wirt!” she called out again, desperate to figure out where the voice was coming from. She waited for the call again and after a few breath-taking second, she heard it.

“Wirt!” she called out again, flying blindly towards the sound. She wasn't even sure who it was but she shouted his name, the responding voice getting louder and louder each time. Finally she got close enough to make out the words and she felt a new set of hot tears stinging at her eyes.

“Help _!_ ”

The voice was unmistakable. “I'm here, Wirt!” she cried, trying to shake the tears away. There was no way she was going to let a loser like him see her cry.

“Beatrice???” Wirt called out, his voice filled with uncertainty.

“Yes it's me, you dork,” she said, relief flooding her chest.

Beatrice followed the sound of his voice until she burst through the foliage and found herself in a small clearing. She took one look at Wirt and all the relief from seconds ago vanished.“Oh god,” she whispered to herself, immediately flying to his side.

Beatrice,” Wirt said softly, his wings outstretched, thick vines snaking down his body. They spiraled around him, their thorns digging into his side as they held his suspended form. He looked like he'd been struggling for a while, his body bruised and battered. Wirt closed his eyes when he saw her, his body trembling.

“Wirt, look at me.” Beatrice landed on an adjacent limb. “How did this happen?”

“I don't know...I was flying but then something heavy knocked into me.” He flapped weakly against his natural prison but quickly stopped, wincing as the thorns pricked him. “Next thing I knew, I was here.”

“Don't worry. I'll help you.” Beatrice fought back her tears as she began to bite and tug at the vines. The plant was incredibly stiff and rubbery but she found it began to split when she chewed on it. It took a few minutes but she was finally able to get through it. Letting the vine fall loose, she looked at him and froze. A new vine was already snaking its way up his form. Beatrice gritted her beak but she wasn't about to give up.

She chewed through another vine, then another. Each time she was able to chew a little faster; regardless, with each vine she split, another soon took its place. It wasn't long before she worked herself into exhaustion. Her breathing labored, she let go of the vine and cursed to herself, studying the tangled mess he was in. “Just hold on,” Beatrice said, trying to think of a way to get him out.

Wirt bowed his head. “I've thought about what you said before Beatrice and...maybe you are right...”

“What?”

“Why do I even bother to try?”

Beatrice stiffened, a lump forming in her throat. “Don't say that!” She flew right up to him and attempted to ply her beak between him and the vines and grab at one of the thorns digging into his side.

“You even said it yourself: if I have nothing to live for then what's the point of living?”

Beatrice felt her heart shattering into tiny little peaces at his words. “Wirt, you stupid pushover! I'm not going to let you die!” Beatrice tugged at the thorn as hard as she could but it slipped out of her beak, Wirt crying out as it slammed right back into his side. A wave of helplessness over washed her. She had found Wirt but now she couldn't even help him.

“Beatrice...” Wirt said, letting out a deep breath. When his words came out, they were much harsher than she had been expecting. “Just go on without me. I don't want you here, okay? You made it clear that you don't want my company either so...why...why don't you just leave!” He clenched his eyes shut, looking pained by his own words.

Beatrice wanted to slap him. “I'm not letting you out of my sight!” She swallowed and lowered her head, trying to hide her despair, her tears flowing more freely than before. “Not again.”

There was a long pause where neither of them said a word. “Beatrice,” Wirt said, his voice like smooth stone against her feathers. “Are you crying?”

“No!” Beatrice said, looking up at him. “I'm just...i'm...i'm sorry!” The apology came spilling out before she could stop it. “I'm sorry I said those things. I was being dumb and I don't really want you to go away or die!” She knew she couldn't hide the tears anymore. “I just...I hearing you say those things about Greg. I hate seeing you hurt!”

“Then why did you say them?” Wirt stared at her with an intensity that seemed to rush right through her feathers and burn her skin.

“Because...” Beatrice desperately gasped for an answer. “Because, Wirt.” She swallowed. “I-I love you!” Beatrice immediately stiffens, the full impact of what she just said hitting her. “I love you,” she repeated, realizing it was true. “And I always end up hurting the people I love the most.” She felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest with how hard it was beating.

“Oh.” Wirt stared at her, looking unsure how to react and Beatrice felt like her entire world had been just been rearranged.

“W-what? Is that all you have to say? Are you just going to stare at me?”

“No, I-”

“It doesn't matter anyways,” Beatrice interrupted, afraid of what he was going to say. “Not if you're going to die.”

“Uh...Beatrice?”

“What is it?” she snapped, unable to look at him.

“I...” she heard him take a deep breath. “I love you too.”

“What?” She was too stunned to speak.

“I love you too, Beatrice,” he repeated, staring at her through bright, yellow orbs.

As the last of his words left his mouth, a sudden warmth filled her - a jolt of energy shooting up her spine and filling her head – her body going limp as it was lifted from the ground. She tried to speak but her words caught in her throat as she gazed at Wirt. The same thing was happening to him - the vines crumpling from his form - light bursting from his body until he was nothing more than a silhouette. Then his form began to change; both their forms

Her wings began to stretch out, legs becoming longer and more gangly. Her torso grew out, the feathers from her breast forming lumps on her chest. Her feathers began to lift from her like leaves in an autumn gust - starting with her body and spreading to her arms and face. Under the feathers a human body began to take shape, the pace of the transformation increasing until the feathers were stripped from the end of her arm, revealing her thin human fingers.

She brought her gaze to Wirt, watching as his beak shrank down into a nose, hair sprouting like moss from increasingly human head. Then, without warning, her head was thrown back and she felt all the energy flowing from her body, swirling around her, forming fabric against her skin.

Just as abruptly as everything happened, she was being lowered back to the ground, staring back at a fully clothed and fully human Wirt. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she collapsed forward against him, the two of them rolling back against the cold earth.

She leaned over Wirt, her hands resting on either side of him as they gazed at each other. Wirt was gawking and she suddenly felt very self conscious of how she looked. Then Wirt pulled her down into a hug and she was suddenly hugging him back and crying and laughing at the same time.

“What just...happened?” she asked

“I'm not entirely sure.” Wirt said but was smiling and wiping the tears from her eyes and it suddenly didn't matter how they had both become human. She ran a hand through his tangled hair and pressed a kiss to his forehead and he cupped her face in his hand and started kissing away the tears. Beatrice shuddered involuntarily as how pleasant this felt and when he pulled away, he was gazing at her with a big dorky blush on his face.

For a moment they stared at each other, Beatrice aware of just how hot her face felt. Then he began to lean in and her body moved without hesitation, meeting his lips in a tender, passionate kiss. Her lips remained still against his for a good five seconds before she pulled back - but before she could very very far, Wirt caught her by the hem of her shirt and reeled her back in. The second kiss lasted much longer, his mouth pleasantly warm and soft as it moved against hers. The passion behind the second kiss sent a jolt of sheer bliss up her spine. She hadn't had lips in so long and being able to use them was almost as nice as the kiss itself. When they finally pulled away, she was panting from the sheer exhilaration of the contact and so was he, his chest rising and falling like the gentle ebb of the tide.

“Beatrice,” Wirt said, swallowing thickly.

“W-wirt?” Beatrice stuttered, suddenly feeling warm and sweaty from the proximity of her body to his.

“You're just as beautiful as I imagined you would be.”

It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink in. As it suddenly hit her, she found the corners of her lips stretching out into a grin.

“And your just as much of a dork as I remember.”

Wirt's own mouth curved into a sheepish smile and Beatrice laughed, pushing him back against the ground before sitting up. “What did you think I looked like?” she asked, pursing her lips at him.

“Well...um...” Wirt pulled himself up, his eyes becoming unfocused as he seemed to wrack his mind for an answer. “I don't really know, to be honest. I just knew that whatever harsh front you put on, there was something beautiful about you.”

“I was _bluebird_ , Wirt,” she said but she was laughing again and he was leaning his forehead against hers, quickly shutting her up with another kiss.

* * *

 

It wasn't long before Beatrice found herself in Wirt's lap, her head resting on his chest as he leaned against a tree for support. His digits played in her hair, repetitively curling a strand around his finger and releasing it. Stars rose above them, illuminating the night sky with a blueish glow, and Beatrice felt more at peace with herself than she had in a very long time.

“Beatrice,” Wirt murmured, his words vibrating in her ears.

“Wirt?” she whispered, her eyes fluttering open to look up at him.

“I have a theory about what happened but...you have to promise not to laugh.”

“Okay, Wirt,” she said, playfully rolling her eyes. “I promise I won't laugh.”

“Do you pinky swear on it?”

“Pinky what?”

Wirt shook his head. “Just cross your heart and swear you won't laugh at me.”

“Okay. But only because it's you.” She crossed her chest and gazed smugly up at him. “I promise I won't laugh.”

Wirt took a deep breath and spoke. “I don't think the scissors were ever meant to break the curse,” he said and swallowed hard. “I think maybe the only true way to break the curse was to...well...fall in love with a bird.”

Beatrice wanted to laugh but instead she smiled and rolled her eyes. “God if that really was it, you might as well just turn me back into a bluebird again and save me the embarrassment of explaining that to my family.”

Wirt pursed his lips in a frown and Beatrice took his hand in her, squeezing it gently. “I'm joking, Wirt.”

“Beatrice,” Wirt said, his hand idly playing with hers, his expression filled with uncertainty. “Do you think there's a chance – a chance that _he's_ still-”

Beatrice cut him off with a kiss to the lips. Wirt looked surprised for a moment but was soon melting into her touch, his lip tenderly cradling hers. Their fingers intertwined, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand. When Beatrice pulled away, he looked dazed and breathless.

“Yes,” Beatrice said, squeezing his hand with earnestly. “I know Greg is going to be okay, Wirt. It's hard to explain but...I feel it. Greg is so stubbornly optimistic. If anyone can survive the beast, it's him.” She took a deep breath before she continued. “But, until we find him, I'll be your family.” She looked at him earnestly, his fingers feeling solid against hers.

Wirt seemed to contemplate this for a moment before scrunching up his face. “Okay but...I mean...isn't it kind of weird to make out with a member of your family?”

“Shut up, Wirt,” she said, shoving him back with a laugh.

“Sorry, Beatrice.” He gave her a sheepish look, the faintest twist of a smile upon his lips. Beatrice huffed but grabbed his collar, reeling him back in for another kiss.

 

 


End file.
